Deekshabhoomi
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Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of
Navayana Buddhism Navayana (Devanagari: नवयान, IAST: ''Navayāna'') means "new vehicle" and refers to the re-interpretation of Buddhism by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar; it is also called Neo-Buddhism and Ambedkarite Buddhism. Ambedkar was a polymath, theo ...
located at
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
city in
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
state of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served a ...
, embraced Buddhism with approximately of his followers mainly scheduled caste peoples on Ashoka Vijaya Dashami on 14 October 1956. Ambedkar revived
Buddhism in India Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism is deeply significant for millions of people in India. According to the 2011 India census, more than 87% of the total Buddhist population in India are Ambedkarite Buddhists. Deekshabhoomi is in
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, a location regarded as a sacred place, prernabhoomi (inspiring land) of social revolution being atheist and a preparations for social actions against class conflicts, discrimination, inequality also the first pilgrimage center of Ambedkarite
Buddhism in India Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
. Millions of pilgrims visit Deekshabhoomi every year, especially on '' Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din'' ie Samrat Ashoka vijaya dashmi ("Mass Conversion Ceremony Day") and 14 October, the memorial day when B.R.Ambedkar embraced and converted to Buddhism here. His final religious act was to embrace Buddhism and envisioned making India The Buddhist nation a prabuddha Bharat Today, the largest ''
stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...
'' in the world is erected in his memory at the site. Nagbhumi, which is ancient place region where majority peoples of clan Nagvanshi survived and strongly followed Buddhas teachings now in
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
state of democratic republic nation
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. ''
Deeksha ''Deeksha'' () is a 1974 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Koganti Kutumba Rao and Vajje Subba Rao under the Sri Padmaja Films banner and directed by K. Pratyagatma. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Jamuna, and music composed by Pendyala ...
'' literally means 'act of ordaining' and ''bhoomi'' means the 'ground'. ''Deekshabhoomi'' means the ground where people got ordained as
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
. This religious mass conversion at one place was the first ever of its kind in history. Deekshabhoomi is one of two places of considered to be of great importance in the life of Ambedkar, the other being
Chaitya Bhoomi Chaitya Bhoomi (IAST: ''Caityabhūmī'', Officially: ''Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Memorial'') is a Buddhist chaitya and the cremation place of B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. It is situated besides Dad ...
in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
.


History

Dr. Ambedkar had declared in 1935 that although he was born as a
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, he would not die as one, as conversion was the solution to abandon the
caste system Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
. After this declaration and having extensively and exhaustively studied the doctrines of all the major world religions, Dr. Ambedkar would choose Buddhism for himself and his followers. Buddhism was 2,550 years old in 1956, so it was a notable year of celebration for the Buddhist religious world globally and 14 October was the traditional date of conversion of Emperor
Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, ...
, the great Indian Buddhist Monarch and the day is celebrated as Ashok Vijaya Dashmi. He selected
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
for his conversion ceremony, as he explained in his speech at that occasion, because Nagpur was the homeland of 'Nag' people who embraced Buddhism, supported it with great efforts in its early period, and propagated it throughout
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Ground near the Ramdaspeth area in Nagpur was selected for the ceremony. On 14 October 1956, Dr. Ambedkar and his wife took the oath of
Three Jewels In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice, which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Since the period of Early Buddhism until present time, all Theravada ...
and
Five Precepts The Five precepts ( sa, pañcaśīla, italic=yes; pi, pañcasīla, italic=yes) or five rules of training ( sa, pañcaśikṣapada, italic=yes; pi, pañcasikkhapada, italic=yes) is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay peo ...
from the Burmese monk Mahasthavir Chandramani from
Kushinagar Kushinagar ( Hindustani: or ; Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is a town in the Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is an important and popular Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained ''parinirvana''. Etymo ...
. Dr. Ambedkar then gave the oath of
Three Jewels In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice, which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Since the period of Early Buddhism until present time, all Theravada ...
, Five Precepts, and
22 Vows The Twenty-two vows or twenty-two pledges are the 22 Buddhist vows administered by B. R. Ambedkar, the revivalist of Buddhism in India, to his followers. On converting to Buddhism, Ambedkar made 22 vows, and asked his 600,000 supporters to do ...
to his thousands of followers. In this way, Nagpur became the birthplace of Neo Buddhist movement. Dr. Ambedkar died on 6 December 1956, one and a half months after the ''Deeksha'' ceremony. However, this ceremonial conversion continued after his death, converting 15-20 million by March 1959. After his death the 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Deekshabhoomi Smarak Samiti' (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Deekshabhoomi Memorial committee) was organized for the management of Deekshabhoomi. The committee decided to build a
stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...
at the place as a monument of that ceremony and a mass conversion of people to Buddhism. Arya Bhadant
Surai Sasai , popularly known as Sasai, is a Japanese-born Indian Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk who later chose India as his home. He is the president of the Deekshabhoomi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial committee Deekshabhoomi. Early years Surai Sasai was born ...
is the president of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Deekshabhoomi Memorial committee, Nagpur.


Architecture


Construction

Deekshabhoomi is spread over four acres of significant land in the city. The stupa was designed by architect
Sheo Dan Mal Sheodanmal Mokha (5 August 1923 – 24 January 2007) was an Indian architect. He is known for designing B. R. Ambedkar's memorial at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur. Sheodanmal Mokha was born in Phalodi, a city and a municipality in Jodhpur district, ...
. In 1968, construction started with residential houses for monks, later on P/G College. Construction of the stupa started in July 1978, but it took a long time to finish. The stupa was inaugurated on 18 December 2001 by the President of India
K. R. Narayanan Kocheril Raman Narayanan (27 October 1921 – 9 November 2005) was an Indian statesman, diplomat, academic, and politician who served as the 9th vice president of India, Vice President of India from 1992 to 1997 and 10th President of India fr ...
.


Stupa

It comprises a large two storied hemispherical buildings with gates resembling a Sanchi gate. Five thousand monks can stay in each storey. The design of the stupa at Deekshabhoomi is based on the architecture of the world famous stupa of
Sanchi Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the States and territories of India, State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located, about 23 kilometres from Raisen, Raisen town, dist ...
. But unlike the stupa of Sanchi, Deekshabhoomi stupa is completely hollow inside. It is the largest hollow stupa among all Buddhist stupas in the world. The inner circular hall is spread across 4000 square feet with granite, marble and Dholpur sandstone used in its construction. On the ground floor, there is a 211 x 211 feet large square hall. At the center of this hall, an image of
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
is placed. This image was donated to Deekshabhoomi by
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
students studying at
Nagpur University Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), formerly Nagpur University, is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It is one of India's oldest universities, as well as th ...
. There is a library and a photo exhibition of the events in the lives of Gautama Buddha and Ambedkar. Above the hall, there is a hollow dome. This dome is surrounded by a veranda. On all four sides, fountains are placed. Above the dome, there is a small slab and a little decorative umbrella. The stupa has doors facing four directions. The doors open in large arcs, which are decorated with
Ashok Chakra Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
s, and statues of horses, elephants, and lions. Around the stupa, there is a garden that is maintained by the
Nagpur Improvement Trust Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) () is a local civic government body with the task of developing new areas within the city limits of Nagpur, India and maintaining existing city infrastructure. This trust works along with Nagpur Municipal Corporatio ...
. Statues of Ambedkar and images of Gautama Buddha are in front of the stupa.


Vihar and the Bodhi Tree

In front of the stupa, on the right hand side, there is a Buddha Vihara with a bronze image of Buddha. Besides the Vihara, there is the Bodhi Tree: a sacred fig tree. This Bodhi Tree was planted at Deekshabhoomi from three branches of the Bodhi Tree at
Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...
in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan (5 January 1905 – 22 June 1988) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller and a prolific writer from India. He is considered one of the great activists of Buddhism of the 20th century. He was influenced by the Buddhist ...
brought these branches from Sri Lanka as a memorial of Buddha's enlightenment.


Tourism

Deeksha Bhoomi hosts a memorial to Ambedkar and has been graded an A-class tourism and pilgrimage site by the 
Government of Maharashtra The Government of Maharashtra is the state governing authority for the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a democratically elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the Vidhan Sabha for a five-year term. Maharashtra has a Maharashtra Legisla ...
. Deekshabhoomi is famous for its architectural beauty and historical importance. It is one of the main centers of
tourism in India Tourism in India is important for the country's economy and is growing rapidly. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, thes ...
. Every year, thousands of tourists visit Deekshabhoomi, especially on the anniversary of the conversion ceremony. On Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din, thousands of compact cassettes of Ambedkar, Ambedkar movement and Buddha songs are sold at Deekshabhoomi. The books of few
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
rupees in different languages are sold in a single day, this makes Deekshabhoomi a unique place in the world. Foreign tourists come mainly from the Buddhist countries such as
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.


Literature

*Special issue of ''Lokrajya'', the publication of Govt. of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
on silver jubilee of 1956 ceremony. *Deeksha, Special issue of '' Daily Sakaal'' in October 2005
"दीक्षाभूमी'चा भूखंड आवळेबाबूंच्या संघर्षाचे फलित


See also

* ''
The Buddha and His Dhamma ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' * Bhadant Nagarjun Arya Surai Sasai *
Chaitya Bhoomi Chaitya Bhoomi (IAST: ''Caityabhūmī'', Officially: ''Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Memorial'') is a Buddhist chaitya and the cremation place of B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. It is situated besides Dad ...
* Dalit Buddhist Movement *
Deekshabhoomi Express The 01045 / 01046 Deekshabhoomi Express via Latur is the Express trains which connect Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus, Kolhapur, Maharashtra and Dhanbad Junction, Jharkhand. This train runs via Latur from 19 February 2021. During its ...
*
Global Vipassana Pagoda The Global Vipassana Pagoda is a Meditation dome hall with a capacity to seat around 8,000 Vipassana meditators (the largest such meditation hall in the world) near Gorai, north-west of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The pagoda was inaugurated by ...
* Statue of Equality


References


External links

{{Buddhism topics Dalit monuments Tourist attractions in Nagpur Monuments and memorials in Maharashtra Memorials to B. R. Ambedkar Stupas in India Buddhist temples in Maharashtra Buddhism in Maharashtra Historical places Vidarbha Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India